Book Review: How to Augment Language Skills

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Pym and Hao (2025) draw on their extensive teaching and research experience in translation technology to illuminate how Generative AI can augment language education. They address the intersection of translator training and language learning by tracing the history of translation as a method in language teaching and by examining the career trajectories of translation graduates as language professionals. They further argue that translators and language educators—both mediators in their respective fields—must work together to navigate this shared challenge. From a translational perspective, they explore how to counter the profound impact and challenge that Large Language Models pose to language education. Intrinsic to this translational perspective is the very nature of translation as a practice that fosters connectivity and understanding—bridging linguistic and cultural barriers—and that facilitates convenience and inclusiveness—bridging multimodal and multisensory barriers. In a sense, translation’s dynamic nature and long-standing interaction with technology bring language learning and translator training together in a single, in-depth discussion.

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